When we came to Minnesota, I had no idea I'd be sharing the origin of the rollerblade but like most of this trip, our timing was perfect for a history lesson. We just happened to be in town for the 30th Annual NorthShore Inline Marathon. It's not just any inline marathon, it's the world's largest. Who knew!?

I really had no clue as to the beginnings of the roller blade (inline skate). When I learned it was one of the amazing inventions (Post-its, Spam, etc.)  to come from Minnesota, I was intrigued. The idea for roller blades actually came before roller skates. Inline skates were created in the early 1700s when a Dutch person attached wooden spools to strips of wood and nailed them to his shoes. In 1863, an American developed the conventional roller skate model, with the wheels positioned side by side, and it became the skate of choice.
In 1980, Scott and Brennan Olsen, two Minnesota brothers, discovered an older inline skate in a sporting goods store and thought the design would be perfect for off-season hockey training. They improved the skate and soon were manufacturing the first Rollerblade inline skates in their parents’ basement. Hockey players and alpine and Nordic skiers quickly caught on and were seen cruising the streets of Minnesota during the summer on their Rollerblade skates.
Over time, strategic marketing efforts thrust the brand name into public awareness. Skating enthusiasts began using Rollerblade as a generic term for all inline skates, putting the trademark in jeopardy. However, as of February 2021, it is still a trademark owned by the company.
Today 60 inline skate manufacturers exist, but Rollerblade is credited with introducing the first polyurethane boot and wheels, the first heel brakes, and the development of active brake technology, which makes stopping easier to learn and to control. Rollerblade has approximately 200 patents and 116 registered trademarks and it turns out, is the major sponsor of the world's largest inline skating race. Wow.

And about the event. "The NorthShore Inline Marathon is one of the longest running and most respected inline skating events in the world, held each September along the scenic Highway 61 corridor from Two Harbors to Duluth, Minnesota. Founded in 1996, the point to point race quickly became a bucket list experience for skaters drawn to the rolling shoreline views of Lake Superior and the welcoming spirit of the Duluth community."



Over the decades, NSIM has grown from a regional race into an internationally recognized event that has hosted record setting performances, welcomed elite athletes from around the globe. The NorthShore Inline Marathon stands as a celebration of competition, camaraderie, and the unique beauty of Minnesota’s North Shore. What fun that our timing allowed us to ba a part of it all. We🧡 Duluth.